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Children in custody continue to face unsafe conditions, poor access to education and weak relationships with staff, according to the latest annual review from HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMI Prisons).
The review, covering April 2024 to March 2025, analysed survey responses from children held in five young offender institutions (YOIs) in England and Wales and at Oakhill secure training centre (STC).
Despite falling numbers of children in custody and improved staff-to-child ratios, outcomes have not improved. Many children were locked up for long periods with limited opportunities to take part in education, training or other purposeful activity. At Feltham A, 39% of children said they were not engaged in any education, work or training.
Violence remained a major problem:
43% of children said they had felt unsafe at some point
61% reported experiencing bullying, violence or victimisation by peers
Only 27% said they would report such victimisation
In the absence of effective behaviour management, staff frequently relied on keeping children apart or in separation. Some children reported staying in their cells simply because they were scared.
The majority of children – 65% of whom had been in local authority care – reported poor relationships with staff. Only 26% thought the rewards and incentives schemes were fair, and too few felt motivated to behave well.
Parc YOI was the exception, with consistent routines, far fewer safety concerns, and 85% of children saying they felt cared for by staff.
Last year’s findings of appalling conditions at Cookham Wood led to its closure in 2024, but children moved elsewhere have not seen improvements. At Oakhill STC, conditions deteriorated so badly after the review period that Ofsted issued an Urgent Notification for improvement.
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, said:
“As with last year, outcomes in YOIs and the STC continue to be worryingly poor and, in some cases, children’s perceptions of their time in custody have got worse. This is because of the frequency of reckless and unpredictable violence from their peers.
Many of the children in custody are very challenging, and strong, supportive relationships are essential if they are to be rehabilitated. The Youth Custody Service must learn from the success of Parc and use it as a benchmark to measure improvements in the treatment of and conditions for children elsewhere.”
